The Green Bay Packers kept their Super Bowl window open when they worked out a new contract with quarterback Aaron Rodgers. As long as Rodgers is under center, the team will have a chance to win. But, it will certainly be more difficult to win with the current group of wide receivers that Rodgers will be throwing the ball to.
The Packers have a huge void to fill at the position as Davante Adams was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders for first and second-round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft. To make matters worse, No. 2 receiver, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, departed in free agency as well. He signed a three-year deal with the Kansas City Chiefs to help replace Tyreek Hill, who was traded to the Miami Dolphins.
Replacing both of those players will present some difficulties, but it will be Adams who is the toughest. Adams is arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL and has been Rodgers’ go-to weapon for years.
There isn’t currently a player on the roster that can step into that No. 1 role. The team signed veteran Sammy Watkins to help, but they need more than that. In addition to Watkins, atop the depth chart are Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb and Amari Rodgers.
While no one in Green Bay is panicking right now, as the NFL Draft could present the Packers a chance to select and develop a new No. 1 wide receiver, something has to change before the season gets underway.
One former Packers star is hoping they make a splash before the season. Hall of Famer Leroy Butler, a former Packers safety, has been advocating for them to make a big trade to replace Adams in the lineup.
“I advocated openly that I would trade for (Seattle Seahawks receiver) DK Metcalf or (the New Orleans Saints’) Michael Thomas,” Butler said. “Or at one point they wanted (Houston Texan) Will Fuller.”
Butler is of the school of thought that the Packers need to add some veterans to the mix, not rely on rookies, or babies as he calls them, to get to the Super Bowl. The Adams situation has opened up a little salary cap room, so Green Bay can make some moves if the opportunity arises.
Thomas and Metcalf would likely require new contracts upon being acquired, but that shouldn’t be an issue. Whatever Green Bay was comfortable paying Adams, they can present to both of those pass-catchers as their best offer. There have been rumors that Adams turned down more money from the Packers, so Thomas and Metcalf would certainly be receiving a lucrative deal.
Fuller is the easiest of the three to obtain as he is currently a free agent. He has been productive when on the field, but staying healthy is something he has been unable to do throughout his NFL career. Last season he appeared in only two games after signing a one-year, $10 million deal with the Dolphins.
